Vatican - Arabic

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has introduced Arabic for the first time to the languages spoken at Pope Benedict's weekly public audience, saying it's a means to express support for Christians in the Middle East.

The Pope briefly spoke in Arabic on Wednesday to the pilgrims in St Peter's square. He said, "The pope prays for all the Arabic speaking people. God bless you all."

Khalid Hussain, a Muslim tourist born in Pakistan but living in the United Kingdom, said he thought the move will help the pope reach a larger audience. He said, "Everybody has a lot of respect for the pope, irrespective of what religion you follow."

The Vatican says Arabic was introduced to remind Catholics of the need to pray for peace in the Middle East.